Silver halide photographic light-sensitive element having a light insensitive upper layer

Abstract

A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material for photomechanical process and a method for the reduction treatment of said light-sensitive material are described. The light-sensitive material comprises a support, at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, and at least one light-insensitive upper layer, characterized in that at least one light-insensitive upper layer contains a polymer comprising: (a) a monomer unit containing at least one group having an electric charge; and (b) a monomer unit having a functional group capable of crosslinking through a gelatin hardening agent with a like functional group of another polymer chain of the same type or with gelatin. The light-sensitive material is very advantageous; for example, it has greatly improved reduction treatment suitability, and the reduction treatment suitability is not deteriorated even if the amount of silver coated per unit area is reduced.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A silver halide photographic light-sensitive element for use in a photomechanical process comprising a support, at least one light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer on the support, and at least one light-insensitive upper layer on the light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, wherein at least one light-insensitive upper layer contains a binder, a gelation hardening agent and a polymer comprising: (a) at least 10 mol% of a monomer unit containing at least one group having an electric change, wherein said group is selected from groups which contain an anionic charge, a cationic charge and an amphoteric charge; and   (b) at least 0.1 mol% of a monomer unit having a functional group capable of cross-linking through a gelatin hardening agent with a like functional group of another polymer chain of the same type or with gelatin, wherein said functional group is a nucleophillic group, wherein the light-insensitive upper layer contains the polymer in an amount of 3 to 100% by weight based on the weight of the binder.     
     
     
       2. A light-insensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the monomer unit (b) has a functional group which has a pKa of not more than 9.5 and is nucleophilic. 
     
     
       3. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the monomer unit (b) has a functional group which has a pKa of not more than 8.5 and is nucleophilic. 
     
     
       4. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (a) in the polymer is from 60 to 98 mol%. 
     
     
       5. A light-sensitive element as in claim 2, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (a) in the polymer is from 60 to 98 mol%. 
     
     
       6. A light-sensitive element as in claim 3, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (a) in the polymer is from 60 to 98 mol%. 
     
     
       7. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (b) is from 2 to 40 mol%. 
     
     
       8. A light-sensitive element as in claim 2, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (b) is from 2 to 40 mol%. 
     
     
       9. A light-sensitive element as in claim 3, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (b) is from 2 to 40 mol%. 
     
     
       10. A light-sensitive element as in claim 4, wherein the proportion of monomer unit (b) is from 2 to 40 mol%. 
     
     
       11. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the functional group of monomer unit (b) is a sulfinic acid group. 
     
     
       12. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the polymer is from 1×10 4  to 1×10 7 . 
     
     
       13. A light-sensitive element as in claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the polymer is from 1×10 5  to 2×10 6 . 
     
     
       14. A silver halide photographic light-sensitive element as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gelatin hardening agent is selected from the group consisting of aldehydes, N-methylol compounds, dioxane derivatives, active vinyl compounds, active halogen compounds, mucohalogenic acids, isooxazoles, dialdehyde starch, and 1-chloro-6-hydroxytriazinylated gelatin.